Food handling apparatus



Nov; 5, 1935. H..L. JOHNSTON El AL 2,019,911

F061) HANDLING APPARATUS Original FiledMa'y 14, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTZB .BY W

m- ATTORNEY} 1.935- H. L. JOHNSTON El AL 2,019,911

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Original Filed May 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2ATTORNEY;

Nov. 5, 1935. -H. JOHNSTON. ET AL FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Original FiledMay 14, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I ill/l/ll/l/l/l/l i 9/41/14 I *lknaATTORNEY$ Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES FOOD HANDLING APPARATUSHerbert L. Johnston and David A. Meeker, Troy,

Ohio, assignors to The KitchenAid Manufacturing Company, Troy, hio, acorporation of Ohio Original application May 14, 1.928, Serial No.217,616. Divided and this application February '1, 1931, Serial No.514,150

4 Claims. .(Cl. 259-102) This invention relates to apparatus forhandling or mixing foodstuffs or other material.

One object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of thischaracter having an electric motor for driving the same, and embodyingchange-speed and speed-reducing gearing compactly arranged to provide acompact machine of small size and dimensions. Other objects andadvantages of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription and from the accompanying drawings in which--.

Fig. l is a side elevation of a mixing machine embodyingthe presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a partial 'view of the reverse side of the machine, partlyinvertical section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail of the shifting frame and gear-arrangement; Fig. 5 isa horizontal section through the control switch and interlock on theline 5-5 of Fig. 6;- Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the control switchand interlock; and

Fig. 1 is a detail of the stationary and th .rotatablecam plates.

This is a division of theapplication of Herbert L. Johnston and David A.Meeker, Serial No. 277,616, filed May 14, 1928.

Referring more particularly to the drawings Fig. 1 shows a mixingmachine adapted for stirring, beating, mixing or otherwise handlingfoodstuffs, dough or other material, the machine shown being of the typeespecially adapted to be used in the household. As shown, the machinecomprises an upright standard Ill supported by the base I I and in turnsupporting an electric motor I2, a gear-changing and speed-reducinghousing I3 and a mixing bowl II. The gear housing I3 is approximatelycoextensive in its lateral and vertical dimensions 'with the motorhousing to which it is attached and by which it is supported. The mixingbowl cooperates with a beater arm I5 which is operated from a shaft I6driven from the motor through the gear-changing device mentioned. Acontrol handle I8 is adapted to be manually operated to selectthe'proper 1/ speed for suitable operation of the beater arm I5,

and an electric control. switch I 3 is provided to control the startingand stopping of the motor I2.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 to 4, the motor I2 has a motorshaft-45 onthe end of which is a pinion 46. This pinion is adapted tocause the rotation of a driven shaft 41 in the .upper portion ofthe gearcasing 13 at high, low

60 shaft carries a bevel, gear 5| which meshes with or intermediatespeeds dependent upon the chargear 52 carried on a vertical shaft 53which is below the shaft 41 and in'the same vertical plane. The shaft 53is rotatably mounted in the long fixed bearing 54 and the lower end ofthe shaft is pinned to a rotatable assembly or planetary head 6 55. Theshaft I6 is rotatably mounted in the assembly 55 at a point spaced fromthe axis of the shaft 53, and is provided with a driving pinion 56 whichmeshes with an internal gear 51 carried by the housing. The shaft I6 isthus 1 rotated about its own axis while it is beinggnoved about the axisof the shaft 53 to efliciently mix and stir the material in the .bowl.Shaft 41 as shown, is journaled in the end of casing I3 ad- 'jacent thetop of the casing and the end of 15 this shaft is suitably socketed toprovide a coupling or clntch member cooperating with the internallytapered coupling'hub around it to provide'an attachment drive forauxiliary apparatus. The motor pinion 46 engages constantly with 20 thegear 60 rotatable on a" counter-shaft 6| mounted at one side of themotorshaft in the housing and which also carries a pinion gear 62 fixedto gear 60 and engaging gear 63 on a short shaft 64. The gear 62 is notshown in Fig. 2 as 5 it lies behind the gear 63 but the constructionwill be apparent from Fig. 3. The shaft ;64 on the free end of which thegear 63 is rotatably journaled is fixed at one end in a stationaryhearing 65 by means of a retaining screw or stud 61. 30 This shaft 64also carries a pinion 68 journaled on the, end of the shaft adjacent thegear 63. These gears 63 and 68 are adapted to be selec-' tively engagedby gears 10 and 11 which are rigidly interconnected for simultaneousrotation and which are rotatably mounted on a shaft 12 supported in anadjustable frame or yoke 13. This frame or yoke is rotatably adjustableabout the axis of the shaft 41, which is parallel to and spaced from theshaft 12. The frame is also adapted to be shifted longitudinally of theshaft 41 from its intermediate position as shown in Fig. 2. The framecarries a driven gear 16 which is keyed to a sleeve 15 which in turn iskeyed to but axially shiftable on the shaft 41, gear 16 being constantlyin mesh with the small gear 10 carried by the frame.

When the adjustable frame 13 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 themotor pinion 46 drives the connected gears 63 and 68 through thespeedreducing train of gears 60, 62 and 63. Gear 63 at this time engagesgear 1| and thus through the small gear.1ll causes a rotation of thegear 16' and the shaft 41. The frame 13 may be moved to the left andsimultaneously move about the axis of the shaft 41 in a directionseparating the gears to disengage the gears 63 and 1|. After l the frame13 has been moved laterally a distance slightly exceeding the width ofthe gear 11 it may then be, rocked about the axis of the shaft largegear 53, thus providing for high-speed operation of the shaft 41. Fromthis position the adjusting frame I3 may be moved about the axis of theshaft 41 to first disengage gears 1.0 and 53 and then move the axes ofthe gears 55 and II sufficiently apart so that these gears will notclash when moved past one another. The frame may then be moved to theright back to the position indicated in Fig. 2. From this position itmay be moved still further to the right to cause a low-speed operationof the beater arm, and when so moved to the right and then rocked aboutthe axis of the shaft 41 the pinion 58 will be engaged by the largegear'll carried by the frame and the shaft 41 will thus be driven at acomparatively slow speed from the motor. When the gear-supporting frameis moved from the slowspeed position it is first necessary to move itabout the axis of the shaft 41 until the two large gears 63 and H arerelatively displaced far enough to permit the lateral movements of theframe 13 without causing these two gears to clash. By reason of agearing construction as just described it is possible to enclose thegears in a box or housing of minimum size supplied with suitablelubricant for the operating parts, while still obtaining sufiicientreduction in speed at the beater arm and sufllcient-range of speedvariation.

It will now .be apparent that the construction just described provides avery compact arrangement of the pedestal or standard, the motor, and thegear-changing'and speed-reducing gearing, so that a compact apparatus ofsmall dimensions and minimum height is attained. The gear casing I3 isprovided on the forward side of the motor housing l2, these two partsbeing connected by suitable attaching bolts which pass through theattaching holes I88 apparent in Fig. 3. The electric motor is mounteddirectly above and on the top of the pedestal or standard, with its axisof rotation extending horizontally toward-the front of the machine sothat the power may be directly supplied to the gear-changing andspeed-reducing mechanism. The arrangement of the power transmission inthe gear casing is particularly advantageous since it is quite compactand permits the various gears and shafts to be contained and lubricatedin a small housing which is substantially coextensive in height andwidth with the dimensions of the motor housing, and which is preferablyformed as a continuation of the end of the motor housing. It will benoted that the power is taken off laterally from the motor pinion 46through speed-reducing mechanism, and the power is then transferred froma comparatively low point of the casing, through the tumbler orspeed-varying gears, to a driven shaft 41 which extends towards thefront of the machine parallel with and above the motor axis and whichisprovided at anupper part of the gear casing. The tumbler or shiftinggears 10 and II carried by the shifting frame are provided on theopposite side of the vertical center of the gear casing, away from thespeed-reducing gears 60 and 62 to utilize substantially all of theavailable space in the gear casing in a compact manner. The driven shaft41 is journaled at its end in the outer side of the gear casing toprovide a power take-off at this convenient point of the apparatusadapted to be clutched or connected to any suitable auxiliary apparatusto be driven such as a meat chopper or coffee grinder or the like, whichmay be used in conjunction with the mixing machine. This arrangementprovides the at- 41 to cause the small gear II to engage the tachmenthub at a convenient height and readily accessible location, when themachine is used as a bench machine or mounted upon a table, in which theattachment coupling is positioned in alignment with the motor andoperable through 5 the change-speed gearing so as to obtain the benefitof various speeds for the attachmentcoupling as well as the mixer shaft.The arrangement is such that a single bearing serves as a bearing forthe driving member 48 of the attachment coul0 pling and as a bearingforone end of the shaft '41. Below the driven shaft 41 and in the sameplane therewith the short vertical shaft 43 which drives the beater armis so arranged that a sufficiently long bearing is provided to take careof 15 the forces involved, the arrangement also being such that thisshaft 53 is provided compactly within the gear box where it may be welllubricated. As stated, the gear casing I3 is generally commensurate insize and coextensive with the 20 end of the motor housing and extends insmooth and unbroken relationship therefrom. The lower portion of thegear casing 13 beyond the motor attaching part extends upwardly somewhatabove the lower portion of the motor housing providing 25 a pocketwithin which the planetary head 55 is mounted, so that this head islikewise positioned within the confines of the imaginary cylindricalsolid produced by laterally extending the motor housing. This furthercontributes to the com- 30 pactness and attractiveness of the machine,while minimizing danger of injury to the planetary head which would beinherent in a machine in which this portion projects outwardly away fromthe gear casing and related parts.

The gear-supporting frame 13 is moved bodily and is rotated about theaxis of the shaft 41 by means of a pin 80 which is operated from therotatable control member It in the following manner: The control memberl8 has a single 40 freedom of motion, the construction shown providingfor rotational movements of the lever about the axis of a shaft 81 withwhich it is rigidly connected, and which is rotatably journaled in themounting plate 82 and in a fixed 45 cam plate 83,.gwhich is mountedparallel to the plate 82 by means of the bolts 84. A rotatable cam plate85 is fixed against rotation on the shaft Ii by means of a pin 85, whichengages a pin slot 81 on the hub portion of this plate, and a springengages this hub portion to normally maintain the two cam platesadjacent one another. The fixed cam plate 83 is provided with a cam slot89 having vertical portions 90 and 9| shaped to receive the operatingpin 50 on the gear 55 frame 13, and having cam surfaces 92 and 83 alongwhich the operating pin 50 rides from the central position shown in Fig.'7 (corresponding to the intermediate speed-gear arrangement). When thecontrol handle I8 is so adjusted that the index pointv 94 is adjacentposition 2, see Fig. 1, the parts will be in the position indicated inFigs. 2 and 5 to 7 inclusive, corresponding to the intermediate-speedpositioning. A clockwise rotation of the control handle i 8 from thisposition will cause the operating pin 80 to be moved along the camsurface 92 to lower the pin Oil and thus raise the frame and at the sametime shift the gear frame 13 laterally to disengage the gears II and 53,this motion of the pin being caused by the movable cam plate which asshown, is provided with camming surfaces 95 and 96. The weight of thegears 10 and II and of the main portion of the yoke or frame 13 isovercome by the pressure exerted on the 75 pin 80 by the surface 95 or96, moving it along the surface 92 of the fixed cam plate 83, so thatthe gear II is drawn away from the gear 63 by the time the pin 80 entersthe lower end of slot 90 in the fixed cam plate. A spring 69, may beprovided to assist in bringing the gears into engagement by lowering theframe, especially where thick oil is to be used in the gear box whichmight prevent rapid downward movements of the frame. Upon the completionof the rotarymovement of the control lever I8 in bringing the pointer 90opposite position 3 the weight of the gears 10 and II and of the frame13 causes the pin 80 to rise inthe slot 90, this motion being assisted,if need be, by the outer portion of the cam surface 96 of the movablecam plate. This motion of the pin is effective in lowering the gear 10into engagement with the gear 63 for highspeedoperation of the beaterarm, it being understood that the lateral motion of the pin 80' from itsintermediate position to the cam slot 90 has shifted the movable gearassembly along the axis of the shaft 41. Clockwise rotation of thecontrol lever I8 from this high-speed positioning causes the cam surface95 of the movable cam plate to first lower the pin 80 and raises thegear 10 out of engagement with the gear 63, the weight ofthe gearassembly assisted by the action of spring 69 then causing the pin 80 torise as it is moved toward the intermediate position shown in Fig. '7.It will be apparent that move- .ment of the control lever -I8 to aposition, as

I and easy manner by'merely rotating the control handle to the desiredposition for the proper operating speed of the beater.

In the constructionof the mechanism by which the gear-shifting frame ismoved the cam plate 83 cooperates with the cam pin 80 ofthegearshiftingframe to lower the gears I or II as the case may be intothe proximityof the gears 03 and 68 and permit full meshing engagementofthe selected gear. In case the peripheral tooth surfaces of the twogears about tom'esh come into contact thus temporarily preventing fullmeshing engagement, as soon as the motor starts and gears 68 and 63 makeeven a very small rotational movement the proper meshing occurs.

The full meshing of engaging gears is completed automatically withoutfurther operation on the part of the attendant, the comparatively smallangular movement of the frame "to bring one of the gears of the geartumbler into full meshing engagement with the gear that drives it beingwithout effect upon the control handle 18 due to the provision ofsuflicient lost motion in the mechanical connection between these-parts;

The motor is started and stopped by means of the motor-control switch l9having a switch handie IN, the latter being shown in motor-energizingpositionin Fig. 5'.-This switch means IOI may be moved horizontally toan ofl position shown-in Fig. 1 to stop the rotation of the motor. Themotor-control switch is mounted by suitable ,bolts on the mounting plate82 alongside the control handle I8, and an interlock is provided betweenthe motor switch and the speed-changing lever I8 to prevent operation ofthe motor-control switch to on position unless the control lever I8 isin one of the three positions corresponding from one positioning toanother. It will be ap'- being operated when the motor is running so 5that the-gear train will not be thrown out of mesh when power is appliedto the beater arm. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the switch means IOIextends through an'opening I02 in an interlock plate I03 which isslotted at I04 and I05 to receive the bushings I06 mounted onthe'supporting plate 82, and which thus guide the interlock plate I03for reciprocatory movement toward and away from the shaft 8I. The shaft8i carriesa I notched plate I01 which is suitably grooved as shown atI08 to receive a pin I09 extending through the shaft so that the notchedplate Ilil rotates with the shaft; The spring 88 which presses againstthe movable cam plate 85 also presses against the hub portion of thenotched plate as shown to maintain it against the mounting plate 02. Theplate I01 is provided with three notches IIO, III and H2 adapted tore:ceive arounded tongue H3 provided on thejend of the interlock plate I03.The notch .IIO will/ be in position to be engaged by the tongue N3 ofthe interlock plate when the lever I8 extends upwardly and the pointer94 is adjacent position 3 corresponding to high-speed operation, and thenotches III- and II2.will be in'position to be enand by the tongue H3 atintermediate and low-speed settings respectively. When the controlhandle I8 is in one of the three operating positions and the gears areproperly meshed or in position about ready to engage one another theswitch IOI can be moved to motor-energizing or v on positionsince'thetonguev I I3 will not then be restrained by the cylindrical surface II4of the notched plate, but in any other position of the control handle I8this cylindrical surface H5 40 will prevent the motor-starting switchfrom being operated, and the operation of the motor therefore cannot beeffected unless the gear train is properly meshed or about ready formeshing engagement. It will also be apparent that when the tongue I I3is in engagement with one of the notches of the notched plate and themotor is .moved to its off position and the motor deenergized. To permitthe operator to known when the control lever I8 is in the exact positionto permit tongue II3 of the interlock plate to be received in one of thenotches H0, ill, H2 the mounting plate 82 is preferably bulged inwardlyas indicated at H5 in Figs. 3 and 6, the bulge being so shaped andpositioned as to be received in the notch II! when the control lever I8is in intermediate-speed position, and to register with notch I I I andanother notch I I6 located an equal to angular distance away from thenotch I I2 on the oppositeside of the platefrom the notch III. Theprovision of this extra notch H6 is required as the notched plate isrotated less than parent that the spring 88 permits the plate to rideover the bulge 5 when the control handle I8 is operated to change-gearspeeds.

It will be apparent that the particular gearchanging arrangement.employed in this apparatus cooperates particularly withtheinterlock forthe motor, since the motor interlock is effective in its operation topermit starting of the motor even though the gears II and "63 forexample are not'in mesh, but on the other hand are resting 76 one on theother at their peripheral portions.

' The instant the-motor is started and the gear 63 moves, the drivengear II, or the gear 10 of the shifting frame, as the case may be, willdrop into full meshing engagement, due to the weight of the frame andthe 'action of the spring 68. The motor interlock being such that themotor can be started even when the gears are not fully in mesh providesan arrangement which is particularly desirable. in that it permits thestarting of the apparatus under any conditions as long as the gears areready to mesh properly when the motor starts.

Suitable means are provided for maintaining a proper spacing of theshaft I2 from the shaft 60 when the gears I or 'II are engaged with thegears 08 or 03 to provide for suitable operating backlash of the gears.For this purpose a stop plate I20 is mounted on the housing I3 insidethe latter in position to be engaged by a tongue I2I extending from thelower end of the frame I3. The stop plate I20 has surfaces suitablyoffset and spaced apart so that the tongue I2I may engage with thesesurfaces at low-speed, intermediate-speed, and high-speed adjustmentsrespectively. The stop-plate I20 is provided with a depending side I25which is slotted at I 26 to receive a fastening screw I2I threaded intoa wall of the housing I3, so that the plate I20 is frictionally heldloosely to the housing and guided for adjustingmovements. The stop plateis provided with an end portion I28 which is guided in a slot I23provided in a part I30 of the housing I3. The end I3I of this part ofthe stop plate engages a conical end I32 of an adjusting screw I33,which is threaded in the boss I34 of the lower wall of the housing I3 sothat the adjusting member I33 is accessible from the bottom of thishousing. A lock screw I01 preferably is threaded into the boss I34 tojam against the bottom of the adjusting screw I33 to hold the latter inadjusted position. The adjusting member I33 may be rotated after thetemporary removal of the lock screw I01 to bring the stop plate to asuitable position to properly regulate the backlash of the gears. Thusthe backlash of the gears is simultaneously adjusted for the threeoperating positions of the gears and the adjustments in the backlash maybe easily eil'ected from the exterior of the housing and duringoperation.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A motor driven mixing machine of the character described, comprisinga standard, an electric motor part, a gear casing part, said'motorpartbeing mounted on said standard, and said gear casing part beingrigidly attached to and supported by said motor part at the end thereof,said motor having a horizontal shaft with an extended end at the frontend thereof. said gear casing beingpositioned at the front end of saidmotor in general alignment therewith and enclosing the extended and ofsaid motor shaft, speed-reducing and speed-changing gearing including adriven shaft mounted within said gear horizontal alignment with saidmotor.

casing in driven relationship with said extended end of the motor shaft,spaced bearings for said driven shaft positioned in said motor part andin said gear casing part respectively, and a depending shaft protrudingfrom said gear casing and operatively connected with said gearing.

2. A motor driven mixing machine of the character described comprising astandard, an electric motor mounted on the top of said standard andhaving a horizontal motor shaft protruding outwardly at the front endthereof, a gear casing attached to and supported by the front end ofsaid'motor over the protruding end of said motor shaft, said gear casinggenerally conforming in cross-sectional size with said motor and thelower portion of said gear casing beyond the motor attaching endextending upwardly somewhat above the horizontal plane of the lowerportion of said motor, a planetary head rotatably mounted in theupwardly extending part of said lower portion of said gear casing sothat the planetary head is positioned substantially within the spacedefined by a horizontal extension of the motor casing, a depending shaftrotatably mounted in said planetary head, and speed-reducing andspeed-changing mechanism confined within said gear casing and operablyinterconnecting said motor shaft with said planetary head and saiddepending shaft.

3. A motor driven mixer of the character described comprising astandard,an electric motor and a separable gearcasing rigidly connected with eachother to forman unbroken casing carried by said standard, said motorhaving an extended horizontal motor shaft at the front end 35 thereof,said gear casing being mounted in general horizontal alignment in frontof and supported by said motor and being of a cross sectional' sizegenerally commensurate with the cross sectional size of said motor,speed-reducing and 40 speed-changing mechanism mounted within said gearcasing in driven relationship with the extended motor shaft, anattachment coupling at the front end of said gear casing connected indriven relationship with said mechanism, a planetary head rotatablymounted adjacent the lower portion of said gear casing in drivenrelationship with said mechanism, said attachment coupling beingpositioned in advance of and in 4. In a food-handling machine of theclass described, a standard, an electric motor supported on the top ofsaid standard and having a horizontally arranged motor shaft, a gearcasing attached to and supported from said motor at the end thereof andoverhanging said standard,

speed-reducing and gear-shifting mechanism within said gear casing indriven relationship "with said motor shaft, said mechanism comprising adriven shaft adjacent the top of said cas- 6o ing and substantiallyabove the horizontal plane

